Epictetus

A Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life

A. A. Long

Description

The philosophy of Epictetus, a freed slave in the Roman Empire, has been profoundly influential on Western thought: it offers not only stimulating ideas but practical guidance in living one's life. A. A. Long, a leading scholar of later ancient philosophy, gives the definitive presentation of the thought of Epictetus for a broad readership. Long's fresh and vivid translations of a selection of the best of Epictetus' discourses show that his ideas are as valuable and striking today as they were amost two thousand years ago. This is a book for anyone interested in what we can learn from ancient philosophy about how to live our lives.

Epictetus

A Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life

A. A. Long

Table of Contents

Introduction1. Epictetus in his Time and Place2. The Discourses3. The Socratic Paradigm4. Philosophy and Pedagogy5. Reading Epictetus6. Natures: Divine, Human, Animal7. From Theology to Ethics8. Autonomy and Integrity9. Appropriate Actions and FeelingsEpilogue: The afterlife of EpictetusGlossaryWho's Who: Stoics and OthersIndex of passages/general index

Epictetus

A Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life

A. A. Long

Reviews and Awards

"Will be most welcome to all serious scholars of the slave turned Stoic student turned Stoic teacher. ... [Long's] contributions...help to ensure that Epictetus will continue to enjoy an active 'afterlife'."--Ancient Philosophy

"With deft sensitivity to how Epictetus' pedagogic concerns influence what he says in different contexts.... Long's focus on questions of how one might live as a philosopher keeps his book accessible and engaging throughout, as do the extensive quotations from Epictetus' discourses in Long's own lively translations."--Choice

"A. A. Long's splendid Epictetus: A Stoic and Socratic Guide to Life...could be used successfully in everything from an introductory survey-course on Greek philosophy to a graduate seminar on Stoicism."--Wolfgang Mann, Note Dame Philosophical Reviews

"The first monograph for 34 years devoted to that most readable and read of all Stoics.... This is an exemplary work of intellectual history: it has never taken much to see that Epictetus is a witty, direct, and humane teacher of an interesting philosophy; it is good to have a study which explains something of what he (as opposed merely to it) is about."--Greece & Rome

"[A] splendidly accessible study...Long's book offers expert and lucid guidance on every aspect of Epictetus' philosophy and his various teaching strategies, illustrated by numerous excerpts from the Discourses. It is written in a manner that is both calmly accepting of Epictetus' peculiarities and, in the proper sense, philosophical."--Times Literary Supplement